1. Introduction Net Formats To provide a basis for carrying out the mission of the Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES ), guidelines must be in place to meet the communications requirements of Served Agencies. This document provides structured formats for use by Tippecanoe County ARES Net Control Stations (NCS) and Alternate Net Control Stations (ANCS), based on guidelines of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), Incident Command System (ICS), and National Incident Management System (NIMS). 2. Responsibilities The Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Operations and the Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Network Operations, jointly responsible for SKYWARN and Net Management, are the authors and maintainers of this document. Each designated NCS in Tippecanoe County ARES is responsible for thoroughly reviewing and following the procedures defined in this document. All members of Tippecanoe County ARES should be familiar with this document. It provides structured formats for the conduct of specific types of nets. 3. Related Publications NET 1-1 NET 1-2 NET 1-3 OP PLAN 100 Net Management (Net Control Station Procedures) Net Operations Net Frequencies National Weather Service Support Plan (SKYWARN Operations Plan) 4. Release Information Net Format Description Pages Revision Date Weekly Training Net 2-5 05 FEB 2013 Warning Siren Test Net 6-10 05 FEB 2013 SKYWARN Net Condition 3 (Watch / Increased Threat) 11-15 05 FEB 2013 SKYWARN Net Condition 2 (WARNING) 16-19 05 FEB 2013 SKYWARN Net Closing 20-21 05 FEB 2013 Situation Reports (SIT REP) 22 05 FEB 2013 Annual NWS Statewide Tornado TEST 23-25 05 FEB 2013 Page 1 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Net Preamble Weekly Training Net Format Attention all stations. This is <name>, <call sign phonetically>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Amateur Radio Emergency Service. This is an ARES Operations Net. This training net commences every Monday evening at twenty-hundred hours, local time, with a focus on practicing the skills of net discipline, standard ARES net procedures, and net control operations. This is a directed, Operations Net. Please do not transmit unless asked to do so by Net Control. Stations with EMERGENCY or PRIORITY communications may interrupt at any time, and will be immediately acknowledged. Should this repeater become unavailable or unsuitable for use during the net, continue to listen to this frequency for information and instructions provided by the Net Control. <Call sign of scheduled ANCS>, are you ready to serve as Alternate Net Control? Pause for scheduled Alternate Net Control response, and acknowledge appropriately. If no response: Are there any ARES Net Control Operators able to serve as Alternate for this net? - Call now. If there continues to be no response, then: Any ARES member able to serve as Alternate Net Control, call now. This is a communications exercise for Tippecanoe County ARES. Those of you who are not members of ARES are welcome to participate. We invite all amateurs in the area to join us for this training net. Page 2 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Check-ins by proxy are not permitted, in order to encourage all participants to practice standard net operating procedures. Once you are acknowledged by Net Control, please continue to closely monitor the net for its duration. Individual net check-outs, or short-time check-ins, are not standard procedure during this exercise. Net Check-In Protocol If a specific check-in protocol for this particular net has been requested by the EC or an AEC, then use it. Otherwise, proceed with the standard check-in protocol. In order to promote good amateur practice, and help train those who may be new to emergency communications, we ask that you observe the following protocol: Check into the net by stating only: your call sign, using standard phonetics, and indicate if you are mobile Stations whose call sign suffix begins with through, call now. ALPHA through FOXTROT GOLF through LIMA MIKE through SIERRA Pause for check-ins. Acknowledge appropriately. Wait until there are no responses to your call for stations from each group before proceeding to the next. TANGO through ZULU Page 3 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Net Announcements This is <call sign>, Net Control for this ARES Operations Net. Any station with announcements, news, information, or questions, pertaining to ARES, SKYWARN, or emergency communications, identify now with call sign only. Pause for stations to identify, acknowledge them appropriately, and allow them to give their announcements or ask their questions. The passing of any formal messages should be delayed until after the close of the net, if possible, unless they have a precedence of emergency or priority. Standard Net Announcements This is an Operations Training Net for Tippecanoe County ARES. Details about this ARES team, including training, activities, meetings, and other related information, are available on the web at W9TCA.com. Late Check-in Opportunity If a specific check-in protocol for this particular net has been requested by the EC or an AEC, then use it. Otherwise, proceed with the standard check-in protocol. Stations that missed the initial call will now be given a final opportunity to check in. We ask that you observe net protocol by stating only: your call sign, using standard phonetics, and indicate if you are mobile Stations with a call sign suffix beginning with ALPHA through LIMA who missed the initial check-in, call now. Pause for check-ins. Acknowledge appropriately. Page 4 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Stations MIKE through ZULU who missed the initial check-in, call now. Pause for check-ins. Acknowledge appropriately. If there are any other announcements for this ARES net, call now. Pause, and acknowledge appropriately. Net Closing This communications exercise is now terminated. We want to thank the repeater owners and trustees for the use and availability of their systems, and we appreciate everyone who participated. The next scheduled ARES net will be next Monday evening at twenty-hundred hours, local time. or other primary scheduled net, as announced This is <call sign>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County ARES closing this Operations Net at <time>, and returning the frequency to normal use. Call ANCS and confirm number of participating stations. The NCS and ANCS should both fill out the net report form on the TCARES web site, at www.w9tca.com/net-report Alternatively, reports may be emailed to net-report@w9tca.com listing the calls of all net participants, the stations acting as NCS and ANCS, and the opening and closing times of the net. Also include any details you feel are worth reporting and may be of interest. Page 5 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Warning Siren Test Net Format Place the repeater into AUXILIARY NET MODE. Refer to the repeater control code list given to TCARES NCS stations, or the net controls web page. Attention all stations. This is <name>, <call sign phonetically>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Amateur Radio Emergency Service. This is an ARES Tactical Net in direct support of the Tippecanoe County Emergency Management Agency, also known as TEMA. Please do not transmit unless asked to do so by Net Control. Stations with EMERGENCY or PRIORITY communications may interrupt at any time, and will be immediately acknowledged. Should this repeater become unavailable or unsuitable for use during the net, continue to listen to this frequency for information and instructions provided by the Net Control. <Call sign of scheduled ANCS>, are you ready to serve as Alternate Net Control? Pause for scheduled Alternate Net Control response, and acknowledge appropriately. If no response: Are there any ARES Net Control Operators able to serve as Alternate for this net? - Call now. If there continues to be no response, then: Any ARES member able to serve as Alternate Net Control, call now. This is the first Saturday of the month, and Tippecanoe County is scheduled to activate the outdoor warning sirens at 11 a.m. local time to test their functionality. The mission of this net is to coordinate the coverage of certain sirens that have been assigned by TEMA to amateur radio, collect the status of all warning sirens that are reported, and pass this data to TEMA for their analysis. Page 6 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Net Check-In Protocol If you plan to report a specific siren, please indicate the siren number, if known, and the name of its location, as you check into the net. Please refer to the list of warning sirens available at W9TCA.com for siren numbers and location names. We ask that you observe the following protocol: Check into the net by stating only: your call sign, using standard phonetics, indicate if you are mobile, and give the siren number and name of its location, if you know it Stations whose call sign suffix begins with through, call now. ALPHA through FOXTROT GOLF through LIMA MIKE through SIERRA Pause for check-ins. Acknowledge appropriately. Wait until there are no responses to your call for stations from each group before proceeding to the next. TANGO through ZULU Net Announcements This is <call sign>, Net Control for this Warning Siren Test Net. The outdoor warning sirens in Tippecanoe County will be tested at 11 a.m. The mission of this net is to collect status reports on as many warning sirens as possible. Some sirens have been specifically designated for amateur radio reporting. The sirens on that list that have not already been assigned are: Page 7 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Quickly read the list of priority sirens that have NOT yet been assigned. Read only the siren number and location name to conserve time. Additional location details can be provided if asked for by participants. Any stations not yet assigned a siren, that would be willing to cover one of these priority locations, please call Net Control. Pause for any stations to identify and inquire about siren locations. Provide information and suggestions, as appropriate. Keep in mind you may be dealing with individuals who are inexperienced at siren reporting. Reports about the status of any and all sirens are welcome, and will be collected during this net. We ask that opinions and personal commentaries about the sirens be kept off the air. Report only the status of the siren. Please use the term fully operational when reporting the status of any type of siren that is working as expected. This applies to both stationary and rotating sirens. Any siren that is working as it is designed to, should be reported simply as fully operational. If a siren is working, but has a problem such as sounding and not rotating, provide those details when reporting its status. Sirens that are not working at all should be reported as not sounding. Please hold all reports until after the sirens have stopped. No reports will be taken while the sirens are active. A roll call of stations that have checked into this net will commence once the sirens have stopped, followed by a call for reports from others who have not checked in previously. When you are called by Net Control, please report using this format: Siren number (if you know it) and its location name, followed by the status of the siren, and ending your transmission with your call sign. Continue to listen for any requests for further information from the Net Control. Page 8 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Are there any questions about siren assignments or reporting? Pause for questions and respond appropriately. Anyone planning to report a siren that has not yet checked into this net, please call now. Pause for check-ins. Provide information and suggestions, as appropriate. This is <call sign>, Net Control for this Warning Siren Test Net. All stations stand by to report siren status. Hold all reports until you are called by Net Control. The sirens should start sounding at the top of the hour. Wait for the sirens to start sounding. Once they have started, make the following brief announcement. Warning sirens have now activated for the monthly test. Please hold all reports until after the sirens have stopped sounding, which should be in approximately 3 minutes. Wait for the sirens to stop, then proceed. This is <call sign>, Net Control for this Warning Siren Test Net. All stations stand by to report siren status. We will first call those stations that have checked in previously, followed by a call for any others who would like to report the status of a warning siren. If a siren is not working at all, it should be reported as not sounding. Sirens working as expected should be reported as fully operational. When you are called by Net Control, please report using this format: Siren number (if you know it) and its location name, followed by the status of the siren, and ending your transmission with your call sign. Call each station individually in the order in which they checked in. Collect reports from all known stations. Page 9 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Any others wishing to report the status of a warning siren, please call now. Net Closing Pause for any additional reports. Continue to ask for additional reports, as appropriate. Once all stations have reported, continue. This has been an ARES Tactical Net in direct support of the Tippecanoe County Emergency Management Agency. This net is now terminated. We want to thank the repeater owners and trustees for the use and availability of their systems. Thanks to everyone who took the time and effort to participate and report the status of a warning siren. The next scheduled ARES net will be Monday evening at twenty-hundred hours, local time. The next warning siren test net will be held at 10:45 a.m. on the first Saturday of next month. This is <call sign>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County ARES closing this Tactical Net at <time>, and returning the frequency to normal use. Call ANCS and confirm number of participating stations. END NET MODE to place the repeater into normal operation. Refer to the repeater control code list given to TCARES NCS stations, or to the net controls web page. NCS: AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, fill out the Warning Siren Report on the web site (www.w9tca.com/siren-report). This sends an email to TEMA with the results of the siren test. You will also receive a copy. NCS and ANCS: Fill out the regular net report form on the TCARES web site, at www.w9tca.com/net-report Page 10 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
SKYWARN Net Format Net Condition 3 Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado Watch (with elevated or immediate threat) Place the repeater into SKYWARN NET MODE. Refer to the repeater control code list given to TCARES NCS stations, or to the net controls web page. Attention all stations. This is <name>, <call sign phonetically>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Amateur Radio Emergency Service. This is a SKYWARN Operations Net. This net is being activated under ARES Net Condition 3 due to the potential threat of severe weather. <Give information known about the situation, i.e., tornado watch for central Indiana, including Tippecanoe County, until 1830 local time >. Include pertinent information that justifies the activation of Net Condition 3, i.e., strong storm cell about to enter the county, reports of storm damage, or at the request of the EC, NWS, etc. SKYWARN spotter activation is being requested at this time. Tactical communications will be used during this net to expedite the reporting of severe weather conditions. ARES personnel should refer to the SKYWARN Operations Plan for detailed information, and operate according to its guidelines. This is a directed, Operations Net. Please do not transmit unless asked to do so by Net Control. Stations with EMERGENCY or PRIORITY communications may interrupt at any time, and will be immediately acknowledged. Should this repeater become unavailable or unsuitable for use during the net, continue to listen to this frequency for information and instructions provided by the Net Control. Page 11 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Is there an ARES Net Control Operator able to serve as Alternate for this net? - Call now. PAUSE for Alternate Net Control response. If none, then: Any ARES member able to serve as Alternate Net Control, call now. Any ARES Net Control Operator able to serve as Liaison to the National Weather Service, call now. PAUSE for Liaison response. If none, then: Any ARES member able to serve as Liaison to the National Weather Service, call now. If still no response, ask the Alternate Net Control to fulfill that duty until additional help becomes available. If time allows before the severe weather impacts the local area, then take check-ins. If the threat is imminent, skip to the next page. At this time we will take check-ins from SKYWARN Spotters, ARES personnel, and all other stations able to participate in this severe weather net. Check into the net by stating only: your call sign, using standard phonetics, and indicate if you are mobile Stations whose call sign suffix begins with through, call now. ALPHA through FOXTROT GOLF through LIMA MIKE through SIERRA TANGO through ZULU Pause for check-ins. Acknowledge appropriately. Wait until there are no responses to your call for stations from each group before proceeding to the next. Page 12 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Any mobile stations currently at, or en route to, a designated spotter location, please identify now. Acknowledge and make note of staffed spotter locations. Maintain frequent contact. Reposition mobiles as needed for optimal spotting and safety. <Give a very brief description of the situation, i.e., severe thunderstorm watch which includes Tippecanoe County until 2130 local time >. This is a directed SKYWARN Net, operating under ARES Net Condition 3. Stand by, unless you have an emergency, or severe weather conditions to report. Legitimate reports are: sightings of tornadoes on the ground, or funnel clouds aloft well-defined, rotating wall clouds hail of any size winds in excess of 50 miles-per-hour extreme flooding actual storm damage Unless specifically requested, only report conditions that meet the severe weather criteria. This is <call sign>. Any station with a severe weather report, call Net Control. PAUSE for any reports. If none, continue to maintain the net at an appropriate level of control for Net Condition 3. Maintain contact with the NWS Liaison station, and attempt to gather further data on the impending threat. Be prepared to collect any reports the NWS may request. Stay up to date on the threat by observing radar, monitoring NWS and TV reports, listening to the scanner, or any other valid method. The ANCS should closely monitor the progress of the situation and keep you informed with frequent, but brief, updates. Use another frequency or alternate method, other than the primary net frequency, to stay in contact with your ANCS and Liaison stations, if practical. Page 13 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Periodic Announcement for Net Condition 3: To be made every 5-7 minutes. This is <call sign>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County ARES. This is a SKYWARN Operations Net. <Give a very brief description of the situation, i.e., severe thunderstorm watch for the area until 2130 local time, and include any updates.> For the sake of brevity, skip the rest of this page every other time when making periodic announcements. Take check-ins only if time and the situation allow. We will take Spotter check-ins for those not previously acknowledged. Check in by stating only: your call sign, using standard phonetics, and indicate if you are mobile. Any station that has not yet checked into this SKYWARN Operations Net, call now. Pause for check-ins. Acknowledge appropriately. IMPORTANT: Call each mobile station that previously indicated they were at, or en route to, a designated spotter location for a status update. Make contact with each before proceeding. Any (other) mobile stations currently at, or en route to, a designated spotter location, please identify now. Acknowledge and make note of staffed spotter locations. Maintain frequent contact. Reposition mobiles as needed for optimal spotting and safety. Page 14 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
This is a directed SKYWARN Net. Stand by, unless you have an emergency, or severe weather conditions to report. Legitimate reports are: sightings of tornadoes on the ground, or funnel clouds aloft well-defined, rotating wall clouds hail of any size winds in excess of 50 miles-per-hour extreme flooding actual storm damage Unless specifically requested, only report conditions that meet the severe weather criteria. This is <call sign>. Any station with a severe weather report, call Net Control. PAUSE for any reports. Continue to maintain the net at an appropriate level of control for Net Condition 3. Page 15 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
SKYWARN Net Format Net Condition 2 Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado WARNING Place the repeater into SKYWARN NET MODE. Refer to the repeater control code list given to TCARES NCS stations, or to the net controls web page. Attention all stations. This is <name>, <call sign phonetically>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Amateur Radio Emergency Service. This is a SKYWARN Operations Net. If Net Condition 3 is already active, then announce, This net is being elevated to ARES Net Condition 2, and skip to the RED LINE on the next page. Otherwise, continue below. This net is being activated under ARES Net Condition 2. The National Weather Service has issued a <severe thunderstorm or tornado> WARNING for <area, i.e., Tippecanoe County> until <time>, local time. If anyone has severe weather conditions to report, call now. PAUSE for any response. If there are reportable weather conditions, ask if there is anyone on frequency who can relay the information to the National Weather Service and handle it in the most expedient way possible. If there are no severe weather reports, continue below. SKYWARN spotter activation is being requested at this time. Tactical communications will be used during this net to expedite the reporting of severe weather conditions. ARES personnel should refer to the SKYWARN Operations Plan for detailed information, and operate according to its guidelines. Page 16 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
This is a directed, Operations Net. Please do not transmit unless asked to do so by Net Control. Stations with EMERGENCY or PRIORITY communications may interrupt at any time, and will be immediately acknowledged. Should this repeater become unavailable or unsuitable for use during the net, continue to listen to this frequency for information and instructions provided by the Net Control. Is there an ARES Net Control Operator able to serve as Alternate for this net? - Call now. PAUSE for Alternate Net Control response. If none, then: Any ARES member able to serve as Alternate Net Control, call now. Any ARES Net Control Operator able to serve as Liaison to the National Weather Service, call now. PAUSE for Liaison response. If none, then: Any ARES member able to serve as Liaison to the National Weather Service, call now. If still no response, ask the Alternate Net Control to fulfill that duty until additional help becomes available. The National Weather Service has issued a <severe thunderstorm or tornado> WARNING for <area, i.e., Tippecanoe County>, in effect until <time>, local time. Briefly give any details about the storm, i.e., location, direction, speed, areas to be immediately affected, etc. Make it a quick summary. Any mobile stations currently at, or en route to, a designated spotter location, please identify now. Acknowledge and make note of staffed spotter locations. Maintain frequent contact. Reposition mobiles as needed for optimal spotting and safety. Page 17 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
We will not take check-ins at this time, due to the immediate threat to the area. This is a directed SKYWARN Net. Stand by, unless you have an emergency, or severe weather conditions to report. Legitimate reports are: sightings of tornadoes on the ground, or funnel clouds aloft well-defined, rotating wall clouds hail of any size winds in excess of 50 miles-per-hour extreme flooding actual storm damage Unless specifically requested, only report conditions that meet the severe weather criteria. This is <call sign>. Any station with a severe weather report, call Net Control. PAUSE for any reports. If none, you may choose to either quickly take a few Spotter check-ins, or continue to stand by for reports. If you decide to take a few Spotter check-ins, ask for stations in and close to the target area where the storm is presently located, or is approaching. Continue to maintain the net at an appropriate level of control for Net Condition 2. Maintain contact with the NWS Liaison station, and quickly attempt to gather any data the NWS may request. Stay up to date on storm movement and activity by observing radar, monitoring NWS and TV reports, listening to the scanner, or any other valid means. The ANCS should closely monitor the progress of the storm and keep you informed with frequent, but brief, updates. Use another frequency or alternate method, other than the primary net frequency, to stay in contact with your ANCS and Liaison stations, if practical. Page 18 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Periodic Announcement for Net Condition 2: To be made every 4-5 minutes. This is <call sign>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County ARES. This is a SKYWARN Operations Net. <Area, i.e., Tippecanoe County> is under a <severe thunderstorm or tornado> WARNING until <time>, local time. Briefly give any updates about the situation, areas to be next impacted by the storm, etc. For the sake of brevity, skip this section every other time when making periodic announcements. IMPORTANT: Call each mobile station that previously indicated they were at, or en route to, a designated spotter location for a status update. Make contact with each before proceeding. Any (other) mobile stations currently at, or en route to, a designated spotter location, please identify now. Acknowledge and make note of staffed spotter locations. Maintain frequent contact. Reposition mobiles as needed for optimal spotting and safety. This is a directed SKYWARN Net. Stand by, unless you have an emergency, or severe weather conditions to report. Legitimate reports are: sightings of tornadoes on the ground, or funnel clouds aloft well-defined, rotating wall clouds hail of any size winds in excess of 50 miles-per-hour extreme flooding actual storm damage Unless specifically requested, only report conditions that meet the severe weather criteria. This is <call sign>. Any station with a severe weather report, call Net Control. PAUSE for reports. If none, continue to stand by and maintain tight control of the net at a level appropriate for Net Condition 2. Page 19 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
SKYWARN Net Format Net Closing This is <call sign>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County ARES. This is a SKYWARN Operations Net. Potentially severe weather no longer poses an immediate threat to the area. Give a brief synopsis of the situation, i.e., whether or not there is the potential for more severe weather to enter the area in the next few hours, severe weather is no longer likely in the near term, etc. At this time, we will take check-ins of ALL stations that have monitored the net and have not been previously acknowledged by Net Control. If you have NOT yet checked into this SKYWARN net, check in now by stating only: your call sign, using standard phonetics, and indicate if you are mobile All stations, whose call sign suffix begins with through, call now. ALPHA through FOXTROT GOLF through LIMA MIKE through SIERRA TANGO through ZULU Pause for check-ins. Acknowledge appropriately. Wait until there are no responses to your call for stations from each group before proceeding to the next. Page 20 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
This SKYWARN Operations Net is now terminated. All SKYWARN spotters, ARES personnel, and net participants are released from your assignments. We want to thank the repeater owners and trustees for the use and availability of their systems, and we appreciate everyone who participated. This is <call sign>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County ARES closing this SKYWARN Operations net at <time>, local time, and returning the frequency to normal use. Call the ANCS to verify station counts (separate base & mobiles) and net duration. Call the NWS Liaison station to give them the total number of net participants, separated into the number of base stations and mobile stations, and indicate the duration of the net in minutes, or hours and minutes, as appropriate. They will pass this information on to the NCS of Central Indiana SKYWARN. END NET MODE to place the repeater into normal operation. Refer to the repeater control code list given to TCARES NCS stations, or to the net controls web page. The NCS and ANCS should both fill out the net report form on the TCARES web site, at www.w9tca.com/net-report Alternatively, reports may be emailed to net-report@w9tca.com listing the calls of all net participants, the stations acting as NCS and ANCS, and the opening and closing times of the net. Also include any details you feel are worth reporting and may be of interest. Page 21 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Situation Report (SIT REP) Format Note: Situation Reports (SIT REPs) are a means of collecting routine information needed during the event, as well as verifying that all stations are functioning properly. This is <call sign>, Net Control for this Tippecanoe County ARES Operations Net. This is a Situation Report roll call. or Logistics Net, Command Net, etc. Call the appropriate stations, one at a time. If operating in Net Conditions 3 or 4, you may append to the list by taking additional reports from any other stations near the areas of interest. Record all stations reporting and their responses (or lack thereof). You may request specific information as the stations report in, such as call signs of all operators present, operational status, current conditions, etc. If regularly scheduled SIT REPs are not applicable to the situation, then skip the following line. The next SIT REP will be conducted at <time of next SIT REP roll call>, local time. Generally done on the hour and half-hour, or as appropriate to the situation. If operating under Net Condition 4, announce the following, else skip this line. Returning the net to background operation. This is <call sign>, Net Control. Page 22 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
Annual NWS Statewide Tornado TEST Net Format Place the repeater into SKYWARN NET MODE. Refer to the repeater control code list given to TCARES NCS stations, or to the net controls web page. Attention all stations. This is <name>, <call sign phonetically>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County, Indiana, Amateur Radio Emergency Service. This is a SKYWARN TEST Net. This is a TEST of the statewide Emergency Alert System. The National Weather Service conducts this statewide tornado drill and communications test annually in conjunction with Severe Weather Preparedness Week. This test is conducted in cooperation with the Indiana State Police, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, the Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana Broadcasters Association, the American Red Cross, and Amateur Radio Operators. A TEST Tornado Warning was issued as part of the statewide tornado drill. If this was an actual warning, you would be advised to seek a safe shelter, and a formal SKYWARN Net would be in session. Repeating this is only a TEST warning. No severe weather threatens the local area at this time. This is a directed, Operations Net. Please do not transmit unless asked to do so by Net Control. Stations with EMERGENCY or PRIORITY traffic may interrupt at any time, and will be immediately acknowledged. Is there an ARES Net Control Operator able to serve as Alternate for this net? - Call now. PAUSE for Alternate Net Control response. If none, then: Any ARES member able to serve as Alternate Net Control Station, call now. Any ARES Net Control Operator able to serve as Liaison to the National Weather Service, call now. PAUSE for Liaison response. If none, then: Any ARES member able to serve as Liaison to the National Weather Service, call now. Page 23 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
This net is a communications exercise for Tippecanoe County ARES. Those of you who are not members of ARES are welcome to participate. We invite all amateurs in the area to join us for this special severe weather TEST training net. Check-ins by proxy are not permitted, in order to encourage all participants to practice standard net operating procedures. Once you are acknowledged by Net Control, please continue to closely monitor the net for its duration. Individual net check-outs, or short-time check-ins, are not standard procedure during this exercise. Check into the net by stating only: your call sign, using standard phonetics, and indicate if you are mobile All stations, whose call sign suffix begins with through, call now. ALPHA through FOXTROT GOLF through LIMA MIKE through SIERRA TANGO through ZULU Pause for check-ins. Acknowledge appropriately. Wait until there are no responses to your call for stations from each group before proceeding to the next. This is <call sign>, Net Control for this ARES Operations Net. In cooperation with the National Weather Service, Tippecanoe County ARES has activated this net as part of the annual test of the statewide warning and communication system. This is only a TEST, and not an actual emergency. No severe weather threatens the local area at this time. If there are any stations ALPHA through LIMA who missed the initial check-in, call now. Pause for check-ins. Acknowledge appropriately. Any stations MIKE through ZULU who missed the initial check-in, call now. Pause for check-ins. Acknowledge appropriately. Page 24 of 25 Revision Date 20130205
If there are any announcements for this SKYWARN TEST net, call now. Pause, and acknowledge appropriately. (For morning test ONLY, read this paragraph. Evening test skip.) There will be another TEST Tornado Warning issued by the National Weather Service between : and : p.m., local time, this evening. We will conduct another SKYWARN TEST Net at that time and all stations in the area are encouraged to participate. This communications exercise is now terminated. We want to thank the repeater owners and trustees for the use and availability of their systems, and we appreciate everyone who participated. This is <call sign>, Net Control for Tippecanoe County ARES closing this SKYWARN TEST Net at <time>, local time, and returning the frequency to normal operation. Call the ANCS to verify station counts (separate base & mobiles) and net duration. Call the NWS Liaison station to give them the total number of net participants, separated into the number of base stations and mobile stations, and indicate the duration of the net in minutes. They will pass this information on to the NCS of Central Indiana SKYWARN. END NET MODE to place the repeater into normal operation. Refer to the repeater control code list given to TCARES NCS stations, or to the net controls web page. The NCS and ANCS should both fill out the net report form on the TCARES web site, at www.w9tca.com/net-report. Alternatively, reports may be emailed to net-report@w9tca.com listing the calls of all net participants, the stations acting as NCS and ANCS, and the opening and closing times of the net. Also include any details that may be of interest. Page 25 of 25 Revision Date 20130205